Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson revealed the content of Diddy’s texts to Cassie after he assaulted her in 2016, shedding light on the disturbing communications. Johnson disclosed these texts while arguing that Combs should be detained, labelling him a “serial abuser and a serial obstructor.”
She added that pretrial services also recommended detention due to the severity of his actions. During Combs’ detention hearing, federal prosecutors stated that at least a dozen witnesses personally observed the music mogul’s violence against women or the injuries they sustained at his hands. Prosecutors also noted that Combs had reached out to victims and witnesses, some of whom were reportedly scared of him. Diddy’s texts to Cassie are central to the case, as they illustrate his attempts to manipulate and control those around him.
The attorney for Dawn Richard, a former member of the musical group Danity Kane who is accusing Combs of sexual battery in a separate lawsuit, told CNN that it was shocking when a witness in Richard’s case received 128 phone contacts from Combs within four days after the complaint was filed.
“That was jarring – 128 phone contacts. Then, after the witness made the statement, not a single phone contact after from Mr. Combs,” attorney Arick Fudali said.
This behavior, alongside Diddy’s texts to Cassie, exemplifies his efforts to exert control over his victims. Federal prosecutors began their arguments against Combs’ appeal by focusing on his influence over his victims and how Diddy’s texts to Cassie played a role in this control. Johnson argued that Combs’ influence “makes it so difficult” to get witnesses to trust that the government can protect them. During the hearing, Johnson read aloud a text sent to Combs by an unidentified woman:
“When you get f*cked up the wrong way, you show me your power… I’m not a rag doll. I’m someone’s child.”
This and other texts highlight the fear and manipulation experienced by those around him. Johnson also pointed out that Combs contacted a witness in June and July shortly after she was served with a subpoena, despite not having spoken with her in several years. This, she argued, heightened the risk of obstruction because of the defendant’s power. Witnesses universally have “extreme fear” of Combs, Johnson said.
The indictment against Combs accuses him of years of abuse that “was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual.” It highlights a March 2016 incident, “which was captured on video and later publicly reported,” showing Combs kicking, dragging, and throwing a vase at a woman. When a hotel staffer intervened, Combs attempted to bribe them for their silence, the indictment adds. The details of this incident match up with a video that showed Combs beating and kicking his then-girlfriend Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel. Although she is not named in the indictment, Diddy’s texts to Cassie following this incident are crucial evidence in the case.
Prosecutors on Wednesday, September 18, again pointed to the 2016 video, arguing that Combs should be denied bail because he tried to cover up his conduct. Johnson read aloud more of Diddy’s texts to Cassie after the 2016 incident, including one that said, “Call me. The cops are here… I got six kids… Ya gonna abandon me.” The prosecutor argued that Combs “knew he did something to elicit a law enforcement response, and he had to cover it up.”
Three days after the lawsuit was filed, a woman sent Combs a text, saying:
“I feel like I’m reading my own sexual trauma,” Johnson said.
Combs responded by trying to convince her that she willingly engaged in the sex acts, according to Johnson. The woman replied that she felt “manipulated,” which Johnson said is evidence of Combs trying to tamper with witnesses. Diddy’s texts to Cassie and others are being used as key pieces of evidence in this ongoing case.
